Child&#39;s chair.



No. 866,853. PATENTED SEPT. 24, 1907.

B. s. FRENCH. CHILD'S CHAIR.

APPLICATION IILBD 8BPT.26, 1903.

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18 229 I if i l4 [4 20 PATENTED SEPT. 24, 1907.

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GHILDS CHAIR. APPLICATION I'iLED SEPT ZB, 1903.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERASTUS S. FRENCH, EAST PRINCETON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO ARTHUR S. STUART, OF EAST PRINCETON, MASSACHUSETTS.

GHILDS CHAIR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 24, 1907.

Application filed September 26, 1903. Serial No. 174,751.

designed to provide a childs high chair with the seat part movably mounted in the frame so that it-may be turned down when the low chair or carriage is desired.

The especial object of this invention is to provide a strong, simple and inexpensive construction of this class in which the seat of the chair is pivotally support ed on links from the front legs of the frame-Work so that the same may be readily swung from one adjusted position to the other; to provide simple and efficient means for locking the chair in elevated position; to provide the seat portion of the chair with an improved tray and to provide means for locking the tray down in place in front of the seat portion.

'To these ends, this invention consists of the parts and of the combinations of parts as hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a front view of a chair constructed according to this invention. Fig. 2 is a side view thereof. Fig. 3 is a side view showing the seat portion turned down to low position. Fig.

4 is a bottom perspective view of the chair seat illustrating the locking levers for holding the chair in high position Fig. 5 is a detail view of the locking lever for fastening the tray in front of the seat portion of the chair. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the chair tray, and Fig. 7 is a side view illustrating a modified construction.

In that class of chairs to which this invention relates a number of constructions have been provided in which the framework of the chair may be adjusted to support the seat portion at different heights to provide a high chair, a roller chair or carriage and a chair of intermediate height. This form of construction is comparatively expensive and liable to breakage, while in other constructions in which the seat portion of the chair is made to assume different positions in a frame-work, some of the constructions have not been capable of being locked in adjusted positions and have been somewhat dangerous in use.

The especial object of this invention is to provide a chair of this class in which the seat portion of the chair may be readily turned from high to low position, but which may be so securely locked in high position that liability of accident will be avoided.

Referring to the drawings, and in detail the frame of the chair, as herein illustrated, comprises the front legs 10 and rear legs 11. The fran1ework legs 10 and 11 are connected by the ordinary rounds l2, and two of the rounds 12 may, if desired, be connected by an iron tierod 13. This chair frame-work is of a tapering form, the base of the frame-Work being larger than the upper portion thereof when the frame-work is standing on end and the front legs 10 of the chair frame-work are provided with wheels 14. The seat portion of the chair comprises the ordinary saddle or other style of seat 15, a back 16 which is connected with the seat portion 15 by rounds 17 and the arms 18.

A tray 19 is pivotally connected with the chair back so that it may be swung down in front of the seat portion and may be locked in place, as hereinafter described. The seat portion of the chair is pivotally connected withthe front legs 10 of the frame-work by links 20, which permit the seat portion to be swung back, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 2, so that when in its lowest position, the chair back will be engaged and supported by one of the rounds of the chair frame-work, as shown in Fig. 3. When the chair is in its turned down position, no locking devices are required, but when the chair is in its raised position, some locking devices are necessary. The locking devices which are preferably employed are most clearly illustrated in Fig. 4. As shown in this figure, a side lever 21 is pivoted on a screw on the under side of the seat 15 near the edge thereof and the end of its lever is pressed out by a spring 22 to engage a notch 23 in theinner side of one of the rear legs 11 of the chair frame-work.

Cooperating with the spring pressed lever 21 is a lever 42 pivoted on a screw on the under side of the seat 15 near the middle of the front thereof so that one end of the lever 24 will engage a notch 25 in the other one of the rear legs 11 of the chair frame-work and at its opposite end the lever 24 will engage behind the spring pressed lever 21 so that when the parts are in the position shown by the full lines in Fig. 4 the lever 21 cannot be released until the lever 24 is swung out, as shown by dotted lines. I regard this as an especially desirable means for locking the seat portion of the chair in raised position, as, by means of this construction, when the chair seat is turned up, the spring lever 21 will first snap into engagement with its notch and when the lever 24 is swung into engagement with the notch at the opposite side of the frame-work it will lock the spring pressed lever so that the same cannot be moved out of place, thus insuring a support for the chair at both sides of the frame-work, when the lever 24 is pushed back into place.

The tray which swings down in front of the seat portion of the chair is most clearly illustrated in Fig. 6. As shown in this figure, the tray 19 is provided with a cross-rod 26, having movable counters or beads 27 mounted thereon. This counting or beaded rod in a tray of a childs chair, I have found furnishes an amusement device which will hold the attention of a child; while not occupying very much of the surface of the tray.

To lock the tray 19 in position in front of the seat portion of the chair, I provide a locking lever 28 which is pivoted on the under side of the tray and may be turned by a handle 29 to engage a notch 30 in the end of one of the chair arms, as shown most clearly in Fig. 1.

In the modified Construction illustrated in Fig. 7, the parts are the same as illustrated in the other figures of the drawing except that the front legs 100 of the chair frame-work are turned outwardly to form rockers upon which the chair may be rocked when the seat portion is turned down, as shown.

I am aware that other changes may be made in practicing my invention by those who are skilled in the art without departing from the scope thereof as expressed in the claims. I do not wish, therefore, to be limited to the construction as herein shown and described, but

What I do claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is: K

1. In a childs chair, the combination of a supporting frame comprising four corner pieces with cross-pieces or rounds, a pivotally mounted seat which can be swung back into theframework when the chair is to be used for a low chair, and means for locking the seat in its raised position, comprising two catches engaging the two back uprights, one of said catches being operable inde pendently of the o ther and serving to hold the other of said catches in locked position.

2. In a childs chair, the combination of the frame-work, comprising the four corner pieces, cross-pieces or rounds, a pivoted seat which can be swung back into the framework of the chair when the chair is to be used as a low chair, and means for locking the seat in raised position, comprising a spring-catch engaging one of the rear corner pieces, and an independently swinging catch engaging the other rear corner piece and serving to lock the first named catch in operative position.

3. As an article of manufacture, a convertible chair comprising a rigid framework consisting of corner posts and connecting rounds or cross-pieces, a seat pivoted near its front in the framework so that it can be turned back inside of the framework and be supported by one of the chair-rounds when the chair is to be used as a low chair, and a locking mechanism for connecting the rear side of the chair-seat to the framework when the chair is to be used as a high chair, said locking mechanism comprising a spring-pressed lever adapted to automatically engage a socket in one of the rear corner posts, and a pivoted lever, one end of which engagesa socket in the other one of the corner posts, while the opposite end of said lever will hold the springpressed lever in locked position.

4. In a chair, the combination of a chair frame-work, a seat portion pivotally connected by links to the front legs of the chair frame-work so that the seat portion may be turned back into the chair frame-work and will be supported by an engagement of its back with one of the rounds thereof when a low chair is desired and a locking mechanism for holding the seat in raised position comprising a spring pressed locking lever for engaging a notch at one side of the chair frame-work and a transverse lever, one end of which engages a notch at the other side of the chair framework, while its other end locks the spring pressed lever in place.

5. A chair having rear and front legs, a round connecting the rear legs near the bottom thereof, said legs being free of rounds above said round, and a seat having a back, the front end of said seat being pivotally connected with the front legs at points below the tops thereof, whereby the seat may swing backwardly and be containcd substantially entirely between the rear legs en tirely below the top thereof, and the back thereof may rest against said round.

6. As an article of manufacture, a chair having from and rear legs, a seat having a foot-rest and back, links extending downwardly from the front part of said seat and connected with the legs at points below their'tops, a round connecting the rear legs near the bottom thereof, said legs being free of rounds above said round, whereby the seat may swing backwardly and be substantially contained with its foot-rest within the space between the front and rear legs and entirely below the top thereof, the back resting against said round.

7. In a chair, the combination of front and rear legs, a round connecting said rear legs near the bottom thereof, said rear legs otherwise being free of rounds, a seat having a back, a pair of links secured to the front of said seat and extending downwardly therefrom, the lower ends of said links being pivotally connected with the front legs at points below the tops thereof, and movable means near the tops of the rear legs for holding the seat in substantially horizontal position, said means being movable so as to permit the seat to fold back and be contained substantially entirely within the space between the front and rear legs with its back resting against said round.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ERASTUS S. FRENCH.

Witnesses:

PHILIP W. SOUTHGATE, J. ELMER HALL. 

